Security Levels

Merlin O'Neill

1950-1954

Merlin O'Neill was born on 30 October 1898 in North
Kenova, OH. After graduating from Morgan City High School, Morgan City, LA
he attended Western Kentucky State Normal School in 1916 and 1917, then
prepared for the U S Coast Guard Academy entrance examinations at Marion
Institute, Marion, AL. He entered the US Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT
with an appointment as cadet in July 1918.

Graduating with an Ensignís commission in March
1921, he subsequently advanced as follows: LTJG, 14 November 1921; LT, 10
September 1925; LCDR, 7 March 1929; CDR, 25 May 1940; CAPT, 10 December
1942; COMM, 1 June 1945; RADM, 1 February 1946; VADM, 1 January 1950;
retired 1 June 1954 with rank of Admiral. His first assignment was on board
USCGC Gresham, based at New York City. During following tours of duty
on board USCGC Haida (April 1922 to December 1923) and USCGC Algonquin
(in 1924), he made three long Bering Sea Patrol cruises with those
vessels--two with the former and one with the latter.

After returning to the Atlantic Coast on board USCGC Mojave,
OíNeill was detailed to the Philadelphia Navy Yard. His assignment was
connected to the conversion of the former Navy destroyer Ericsson to
Coast Guard duty for the suppression of smuggling. He served first as the
Executive Officer of the destroyer after she was commissioned in May 1925.
He became the Commanding Officer in 1927.

In September 1927 he was assigned to the Coast Guard
Academy staff as an instructor. He acquired additional duties in November
1929, when he was appointed Commandant of Cadets. He made three summer
practice cruises with the cadets during that period.

Between October 1930 and June 1933 he commanded the
Destroyers Monoghan, Herndon, and Cassin, respectively,
on anti-smuggling operations along the North Atlantic coast. During the next
two and half years, he commanded USCGC Apache.

He was next stationed at Coast Guard Headquarters,
Washington, DC from October 1935 to October 1942. During that time he served
in the office of Operations and was also a Technical Adviser to the United
States Delegation at the International Whaling Conference in London
(May-June 1937). He became the first Chief Director of the Coast Guard
Auxiliary (initially known as the Coast Guard Reserve), when that
organization was formed in 1939.

During World War II he commanded the Coast
Guard-manned attack troop transport USS Leonard Wood in the invasions
at North Africa, Sicily, Gilbert Islands, and Marshall Islands. He was
awarded the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the
performance of outstanding services in the Sicily campaign and the Navy Unit
Commendation for the transportís "exceptionally meritorious service
in action against enemy aircraft, shore batteries, mines, and
submarines."

In July 1944 Admiral OíNeill became Commanding
Officer of the Coast Guard Amphibious Training Unit at Camp Lejeune, New
River, NC. A month later he was assigned as Commander of the Baltimore
Section of the 5th Coast Guard District. His duties embraced the
Captain-of-the-Port functions, the Marine Inspection Office, Pilot Stations,
a Coast Guard Base, a Sub-Recruiting Station, and a Training Station at Fort
McHenry.

Early in 1945 he was assigned as Assistant Chief,
Finance and Supply Division, at Coast Guard Headquarters. Later that year,
he was promoted to Commodore and stationed at Norfolk, VA as Commander,
Fifth Coast Guard District.

By nomination of President Truman and with the
confirmation of the Senate, OíNeill was appointed Assistant Commandant of
the US Coast Guard with rank of Rear Admiral as of 1 February 1946. He held
this post until the Commandant, Admiral Joseph F. Farley, retired on 31
December 1949. OíNeill succeeded to the post of Commandant on January 1,
1950 with the rank of Vice Admiral. (His nomination as Commandant was
announced by President Truman on 12 October 1949 and was confirmed by the
Senate on 14 October 1949).

When OíNeill took over as Commandant, the service
had not changed much since its postwar demobilization. With a strength of
just under 23,000 men, the service manned 177 cutters and 429 lighthouses in
addition to various other craft and stations. Though no cutters served in
combat operations, there would be considerable expansion as a result of the
breakout of the Korean War in June 1950. President Trumanís executive
order subsequent to the Magnuson Act saw the Coast Guard become responsible
for the execution of a national port security program. In performance of
these duties the Coast Guard was to ferret out left-wing subversives in the
nationís merchant fleet. The subsequent heavy-handed investigations led to
the serviceís greatest levels of unpopularity since Prohibition.

Due to the fact that the Coast Guard Reserve had
lapsed in the years following demobilization, the Korean War spurred the
appropriation of funds to build an effective Coast Guard Reserve capable of
supporting the serviceís wartime missions. The emergence of the Cold War
saw Coast Guard personnel man the oceangoing radio station Courier.
This vessel transmitted Voice of America broadcasts from the Greek island of
Rhodes.

Though short of the statutory retire age, OíNeill
retired from the Coast Guard effective 1 June 1954 with the rank of full
Admiral. Under his leadership the Coast Guardís peacetime strength had
reached its highest levels. At the time of his retirement, military
personnel numbered just over 29,000 and this was supported by a civilian
work force of just under 5,000. Though it may be said that OíNeillís
tenure as Commandant was relatively unspectacular in comparison to others,
it should also be noted that he did provide steady, competent leadership
during a period of peacetime expansion.